Business, Blogging
Lauren Hooker
40 Ways to Use Adobe Illustrator to Improve ...

Adobe Illustrator is my go-to software for anything and everything design-related. It's the one program I truly couldn't work without.

And while it's easy to assume that the program's primary focus is illustration based on the name, there is so much more to this design software. 

With tools for type, color, photo cropping, image tracing, drawing, and much more, it has innumerable benefits for bloggers and business owners, alike.

To get your creative gears turning, here's a look at 40 ways Adobe Illustrator can take your blog and/or business to the next level.

40 Ways to Use Adobe Illustrator to Improve Your Blog and Business
Blogging, Business, Branding, Design
Lauren Hooker
How to Create Eye-Catching Blog Post Graphics

First impressions are crucial, especially in business.

Potential customers and clients make judgments about your business within the first few seconds of coming into contact with it, whether it’s through your website, your social media accounts, or a simple blog post graphic.

And those initial thoughts - whether they’re spot on or far off from what you want them to be - are within your control. You have the opportunity to make a killer first impression through high-quality, branded visuals.

If your blog is a large part of your business or you’re hoping to drive more traffic back to your site through your blog, you have to have eye-catching blog graphics to not only generate a positive first impression, but to encourage readers to share your posts on sites like Pinterest and be seen by an even wider audience.

So how do you create eye-catching blog post graphics? And better yet, how can you set them apart so they’ll stand out from the rest and be recognized time and time again?

How to Create Eye-Catching Blog Post Graphics
Business, Visual Marketing
Lauren Hooker
40 Easy, Engaging Video Content Ideas for Your ...

“When I discovered YouTube, I didn’t work for 5 days.” - Michael Scott

Video platforms like YouTube (and more recently, Periscope) are easily the world’s greatest time-wasters. We’ve all been guilty of losing track of time on YouTube at least once, because videos are easily consumable, very addicting, and highly entertaining.

As a matter of fact, studies show that a whopping 78% of us watch videos online every week and 55% watch videos online every day.

Which is why Youtube is also the world’s greatest overnight-success-maker. If you’re on the production-side of a video and you’ve come up with a clever idea, you might just have a viral hit on your hands.

Video holds a lot of potential for interaction, engagement, and shares for creative businesses. And for that reason, it’s one of the best visual marketing tools you can use.

But it producing videos can be a little overwhelming, can’t it? Even with helpful video tools out there like Animoto, many of us struggle to come up with simple ideas for video content that would appeal to our audience. 

And that’s where this post comes in. I’ve rounded up 40 easy, engaging video content ideas to help get your creative gears turning. My hope is that you’ll find a few ideas to implement and as a result, bring your business more exposure.

40 Easy, Engaging Video Content Ideas for Your Creative Business
Business, Visual Marketing
Lauren Hooker
Why You Should Be Using Infographics for Your ...

If you’re looking for a good way to kill at least an hour of your time, type in the word “infographic” in the Pinterest search bar.

Thousands of clever graphics will pop up on everything from “how to make a salad taste awesome” to a baby’s first year in a review. There’s even an infographic that answers the pressing question, “Is your dog sleeping a little too much?”

Then, after you’ve admired the genius creativity behind them, take a gander at how many repins and likes each of those infographics receives. Thousands upon thousands.

In fact, infographic volumes have increased by over 800% in 2 years. Publishers who use infographics grow in traffic an average of 12% more than those who don’t. 

What is it about infographics that makes them so appealing? And better yet, how can you come up with some clever infographics for your business so it gains more exposure through likes and shares?

I have all the answers for you in this post.

Why You Should Be Using Infographics for Your Business (And How to Create Them)
Blogging
Lauren Hooker
How to Create Catchy Headlines

Is your headline the first thing you consider when you sit down to write a post?

Probably not, but creating a catchy blog post title is one of the most important aspects of each blog post. It's the gateway to your content; it convinces people to click or scroll right past your latest post'. 

In fact, studies show that 8 out of 10 people will read your headline but only 2 out of 10 will read your entire post. 

Here are a few pointers for drawing in potential readers and a couple "templates" to help you create a catchy headline for your upcoming posts. 

How to Create Catchy Headlines

Squarespace

An Update on Squarespace SEO in 2018

An Update on Squarespace SEO in 2018

Squarespace SEO (Search Engine Optimization) seems to be one of the most polarizing Squarespace topics out there.

Most can agree Squarespace is an easy-to-use content management system with beautiful templates. But for some reason, Squarespace can’t shake the perception that it has poor SEO capabilities, despite the fact that the platform has been around for well over a decade and builds known SEO practices into every Squarespace site.

But let’s get one thing straight before we get into this post, if you want ultimate control over the optimization of your site, Squarespace may not be for you.

But, as a creative small business owner, I doubt you’re chomping at the bit to dig into intense SEO practices. I’m sure you’d rather have something that gets the job done well without having to dedicate much time to it. If that sounds more like it, then Squarespace’s SEO capabilities are all you need.

A Trusty Guide for Setting Up Navigation, Pages, and Blocks in Squarespace

A Trusty Guide for Setting Up Navigation, Pages, and Blocks in Squarespace

Now that you’ve started your Squarespace trial and set up your Squarespace website, it’s time to start customizing the site to your needs.

But before you dive into the design, you’ll need to build a foundation for your new site by setting up your navigation menu, adding pages, and filling out those pages using blocks.

This post will walk you through how simple it is to build a foundation for your website using Squarespace.

5 Things You Should Investigate During Your 14-Day Squarespace Trial

5 Things You Should Investigate During Your 14-Day Squarespace Trial

I love Squarespace for many reasons. It’s easy on the eyes, user friendly, affordable, compatible across all devices, and easy to edit. One of the other features Squarespace offers is a free 14 day trial.

Squarespace’s free 14 day trial allows you to try out the platform and get to know the features before subscribing. And they don't even require a credit card to start your trial!

But you may be wondering what features you should check out and what you should investigate before you take the plunge. So here’s 5 things to investigate during your 14 day Squarespace trial.

My Step-by-Step Guide for Getting Started with Squarespace

My Step-by-Step Guide for Getting Started with Squarespace

I wrote my first Squarespace blog post series back in 2015.

I covered everything from how to set up pages and navigation to how to use Squarespace blocks, Squarespace SEO and metrics, setting up a blog and shop, and customizing your Squarespace website.

And even though these posts are 3 years old, they continue to be some of the most popular on my site. You may have even stumbled across Elle & Company for the first time through one of them!

But Squarespace has continued to change and grow since then, so it’s time for an update.

Over the next several weeks I’ll be walking you through a brand new Squarespace series. I’ll expand on the how-to posts, include new updates, and share about topics I haven’t yet covered.

If you’re currently using Squarespace for your website or plan to get your Squarespace site up and running in the coming months, you won’t want to miss these posts!

8 of My Favorite Squarespace Templates for Creative Businesses

8 of My Favorite Squarespace Templates for Creative Businesses

Beautiful templates are one of the many benefits of using Squarespace for your website.

I like to joke around with clients and peers that it’s hard to create an ugly site with Squarespace for that very reason. 

But with so many great templates to choose from, it can be overwhelming to determine which one will work best for your website. Or you may even find it difficult to choose just one.

Over the past 3 ½ years, I’ve spent countless hours researching and testing out different Squarespace templates for my design clients, and I’ve discovered some favorites along the way.

I’ve rounded up 8 of my go-to Squarespace templates to help you in your search and hopefully make this stage of the website-building process a little less stressful.